|
 |
 |
|
|
Billions poured in to student letting by institutional investors By Simon Thompson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Institutional investment in residential property - especially student accommodation - has almost tripled to £2.2 billion in the past 12 months, according to a leading firm of property lawyers.
Much of the smart investment money has switched from equities and commodities to property due to market volatility, says City law firm Wedlake Bell.
Banks, pension funds and other institutional investors have put their cash in to student halls, explained Jeremy Raj, the firm’s head of residential property.
“There has been a startling jump in purchases of UK residential property by institutional investors,” he said. “Institutions are being attracted to residential property because of improving market fundamentals, including high tenant demand, high rents and a supply shortage that shows no immediate signs of abating.
“One area in which we have seen strong investment has been the student accommodation market both from UK and overseas institutions.”
The firm expects the letting market to stay resilient in 2012 because any oversupply has already been soaked up by investors, while demand from students and other prospective tenants is still rising.
“One effect of the credit crunch was to freeze the new build pipeline, meaning the current shortage of properties on the market is unlikely to abate in the near term,” said Raj. “Unsold housing stock from the new build boom prior to the credit crunch has now been cleared up, making the current shortage of quality rented accommodation more acute.”
“In addition, it seems unlikely that any public sector led affordable homes initiative will meet the shortage of affordable homes. The government’s proposal to extend the ‘right-to-buy’ scheme might actually mean that more affordable housing will be taken out of the public sector.”
Raj added that the acceleration of purchases by financial institutions reverses years of low investment by them in UK residential property because high costs of managing a residential portfolio, made up of many small properties, cut too deeply into returns
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Landlords warned - prepare for more regulation |
|
Landlords in England are being warned that they should prepare for more regulation after the government published a consultation.
The warning comes from Tim Miles who is a partner at law firm Clarke Willmott.
He says that the Government is cons |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Research reveals that 2017’s rents fell in real terms |
|
The rents being paid to landlords in all parts of the UK fell in real terms during 2017, research suggests.
The findings from HomeLet reveal that rents in November rose by 0.7%.
That's the 11th straight month that rent increases have fallen beh |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Rents for the UK’s rental properties rise by 2.1% |
|
The average rent for a buy to let property grew by 2.1% in the year to September, an index has revealed.
The figures from HomeLet show that the average rent now being paid is £927 every month.
For landlords in London, rents rose by 1.9% o |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Landlords start exiting the buy to let sector |
|
One leading firm of letting agents is warning that buy to let investors are beginning to exit the sector.
The warning comes from Belvoir who say that while the numbers of landlords leaving is not huge, there is a trend appearing.
The firm's chi |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Landlord confidence takes a knock |
|
Despite the prospect of high yields and profitability, a survey has revealed the landlord confidence around the UK has fallen.
The findings from BM Solutions looked at all the key indicators for the second quarter of 2017.
They say that the lev |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Landlords 'don't know what tenants want' |
|
Landlords in the private rental sector are out of touch with their tenant’s wants and needs, according to new research.
The findings from an online letting agent revealed that tenants are clear most often about what they want and t |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
View more
|
|
Are you an existing landlord?
Click here to log into your account
|
Are you new to AFS, click here to find out more information
|
|
|  |
|